Mail eye clinching device and method of forming cotton harness having metal eyes



Feb. 1935- s. R. FLOYD 2,030,977

MAIL EYE CLINCHING DEVICEAND METHOD OF FORMING COTTON HARNESS HAVING METAL EYES Filed Aug. 9, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l I N VEN TOR.

SAMUEL RJZOYD ,3 M ATTORNEY.

S. R. FLOYD MAIL EYE CLINCHING DEVICE AND METHOD OF FORMING COTTON HARNESS HAVING METAL EYES Filed Aug. 9, 1932 2 SheetsSheet'2 Feb. 18, 1936.

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Patented Feb. 18, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MAIL EYE CLINCHIN G DEVICE AND METHOD OF FORMING COTTON HARNESS HAVING METAL EYES Application August 9, 1932, Serial No. 628,107 14 Claims. (01. 140-71) This invention relates to .a mail eye clinching device for cotton harness knitting machines, and to the method of forming cotton harness having metal eyes, one of the principal objects thereof being to provide a cotton harness making machine with an automatically operating clinching device, to clinch the mail eyes at one end on to the threads or heddles with which they are associated, to thereby prevent relative movement of the eyes and harness threads.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mail eye clinching device which may be attached to machines now in use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mail eye clinching device, together with mechanism for automatically operating it from machines now in use, without requiring material alterations in the machine, or parts thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide 20 in connection with the clinching mechanism,

feeding mechanism for the mail eyes, automatically operated from the machine, and operating mechanism. for the clinching mechanism, adjustable as to throw.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one of the forms which the invention may take,-

Figure 1 represents a fragmentary side elevational view of a harness knitting machine with 30 the invention applied thereto, sufficient of the machine being illustrated to make the invention clear to one skilled in the art.

Figure 2 represents a fragmentary top plan view of the harness knitting machine with the invention applied.

Figure 3 represents a view of the mail eye, together with portions of the threads forming the harness, the eye being shown in clinched condition.

Figure 4 represents a view of the mail eye, separate, in its condition before attachment to the harness threads and before clinching.

Figure 5 represents an end view of the mail eye.

Figure 6 represents a fragmentary sectional view on the line 6-6 of Figure 2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure '7 represents a fragmentary sectional Referring more particularly to the drawings, the machine to which the invention is applied, includes in part the bed plate I; the arm 8; the arm II, which is used in the ordinary operation of the machine to hold the knitted eyes back out of the way; the rotating shaft [5 operating the cam l6 which, in turn, operates the lever l1 and oscillates shaft l8; spring l9 which maintains the lever I! in contact with the cam IS; the stationary shaft the revolvingshaft and the frame 3|.

The machine also includes the needle 6, along which the knitted eyes ordinarily made by the machine are guided. To adapt the machine to my invention, I have slotted the needle 6 at its end toward the clinching device, later to be described, as illustrated.

In the operation of the machine, with my device applied thereto, the mail eyes 35, which are made of metal, are stacked on the needle 6 and are fed forward one at a time, to the point adjacent the rear end of the slot in the needle indicated at 33, by the ordinary operation of the machine. Each eye is provided with a central eye or slot 35*, through which one of the warp threads is passed in the operation of weaving, and at one end the eye is perforated at 35* to receive the twine 3'! forming part of the harness, such twine being merely passed through the opening in the process of forming the harness. The other end of the eye has a reduced projection 36 provided with an elongated perforation, and through this perforation the twine 31 forming anotherpart of the heddle is passed. The reduced extension is clinched, as shown in Figure 3, to bind the metal forming the extension upon the twine 31 to lock the eye in place on the harness, and the clinching mechanism to be hereinafter described performs this work. In stacking the eyes or the needle 6, the latter is passed through the central slot 35 of the eyes.

The clinching device forming part of the invention, includes the block 2 mounted on the bed plate I; the anvil 3 set in block 2, and having a transverse groove 4 in which the reduced extension 36 of the eye rests when it is being clinched; a substantially U-shaped holder 5, one side of which is fastened to the block 2, and between the sides 5 of which the needle 6 extends; the clamping wedge I2, carried on the arm ll of the machine, and which co-operates with the shoulders 5 and 5 of the holder 5 in clamping the eyes in position during the clinching operation, as shown in Figure 8; the lever l3, pivoted at l3 to the block 2 and provided with the clinching lip I4;

the mechanism for operating the lever [3, to be hereinafter described; the fork l for feeding the mail eyes; and the guides 32 which hold the twine of the knitted harness up even with the eyes as the latter are clinched.

The mechanism for operating the clinching lever I3 is mounted for oscillation on the stationary shaft 28 of the machine, and is driven from the rotary shaft 25 thereof. It includes a casting 2| pivoted on the shaft 28 and retained in proper alignment by the collars 22. This casting has an arm 2| extending therefrom which is provided with a weight 21. An arm 23 is suitably fastened to the casting as at 23% and is provided with a roller 24 held by the weight against the cam 26, which forms part of the operating mechanism, which cam is mounted on the machine shaft 25. The upper end of the arm 23 is bentover and is slotted as at 23*, and receives the bent end 28 of an adjusting rod 28 retained by cotter pins as shown, the other end of which rod is threaded and is passed through theoif-set end of a link 29, the opposite end of which is pivoted at 29 to the lower end of the clinching lever [3. Nuts 34 threaded on the rod 28 on either side of the offset end of link 29 adjust the position of the end 28 of rod 28 with reference to the slot 23 in arm 23, and hence adjust the time at which the arm 23 under the influence of the cam 26 engages the rod 28 to actuate the clinching. lever, and thus adjust the throw of the clinching lever I l, and the extent to which the eyes are to be clinched. The spring 30 anchored at one end to the machine and at the other end to the lever l3,

maintains the lever in non-clinching position except when it is swung into clinching position under the influence of the cam 28.

The fork l is mounted in the upper end of the arm 8 of the machine, being maintained in place by a set screw 8 or in any other suitable manner, and such fork includes the rear prong 9, which, in the operation of the machine engages behind the eyes and pushes them forward toward the clinching device along the needle 6, and the front prong 18, which pushes the clinched eyes out of the clinching mechanism before the prong 9 brings up other eyes.

The metal eyes, stacked on the needle 6, are fed forward one at a time, tothe point 33 by the regular operation of the machine, the twine 31 and 3'1 being already threaded through the holes in the ends of the eyes when the needle 8 with the eyes stacked on it is in place, and the machine is ready to operate. The twine of the heddles extends outwardly from the ends of the eyes, on both sides of the needle 6 and at right angles thereto, and are bodily moved forward toward the left in Figure l in the process of knitting the harness, and all motion of the eyes 35 up to the time that they are picked up by the fork 1 is given by this pulling of the twines through the ordinary operation of the machine.

The fork l is moved by the arm 8 in an orbit, being projected up through the slot in the needle 6, at a point near 33, swinging to the left in Figure 1 through and along the slot, and moving downwardly as the clinching position is reached, then returning beneath the needle 6 and again being moved upwardly through the slot in the same to engage another eye adjacent the rear end of the slot.

For purposes of clearness of illustration, I have not, except in Figure 8, shown the position of the harness twine and mail eyes with reference to the mechanism, because to do so would tend to confuse the remaining figures. But from Figure 8, the position of these parts will be readily understood.

In Figures 1, 2, 6 and '7, the parts are in the position assumed when the rear prong of the fork I has come up through the slot in the needle 6, behind an eye, and is pushing the eye forward along the needle toward the clinching device. As the arm 8 moves forward in its regular operation, the prong 9 carries the eye forward, and as the eye engages the upper inclined surfaces 5 of the holder 5 (the sides of the holder being less in distance apart than the length of the eye, as shown in Figure 8), the eye is moved upwardly and over the inclined edges 5 which guide the projecting end of the eye over the clinching lip 14. The forward end of the needle is slightly raised by this operation, and as the eye reaches the forward ends of the inclined surfaces 5 it drops down under the influence of the needle to be positioned against the shoulders 5 of the holder, as shown in Figure 8. While this is taking place, the arm ll, under the influence of the cam I6 is moving downwardly, and as the eye drops into position on the shoulders 5 the clamping wedge l2 moves downwardly and engages the forward face of the eye, to clamp the eye in position upon the shoulders, as shown in Figure 8. At this time, the reduced extended end 38 of the eye is resting in the groove 4 of the anvil 3, ready to be engaged by the clinching lip l4, and the eye is clamped between the clamping wedge 12, the shoulders 5 and the upper surfaces 5 of the forward portion of the holder 5 adjacent their junction with the shoulders 5 (see Figure 7) Before the eye drops into place against clamping shoulders 5 and 5 the forward prong IU of the fork will have engaged the preceding clinched eye and will have moved it tothe left in Figure 1, out of the clinching device and ready to be moved out of the machine as the process of knitting the harness continues. Since the block 2.raises the position of clinching above the surface of the bed plate I, the guides 32 are used to maintain the horizontal position of the threads 31 and 31 such threads riding over the guides as the heddle-making process proceeds.

.At the time that the eye drops into position in the clinching device, the fork I is moving downwardly, so that it will be below the eye when the clamping wedge l2 assumes clamping position, but as there is a position where the clamping wedge over-laps the prong 9, the latter is slotted in its upper end at 9 to accommodate the clamping wedge and to allow the same to slip through the slot as the fork is lowering.

The clamping shoulders 5 incline slightly rearwardly at their upper ends toward the clinching lip l4, and the co -operating edge of the clamping wedge I2 is parallel to such shoulders when in clamping position. The eye is thus held in the clamping device at a slight inclination and at such an angle that the clinching force applied by the lip I4 is transmitted parallel to the sides of the eye.

The parts being in the position illustrated in Figure 8, with the eye ready to be clinched, the clinching force is applied as follows:

The cam 26 revolving with the shaft 25, shifts the roller 24 backward, or to the right in Figure 1, tilting the arm 23 around its axis of oscillation 20, against the force of the weight 27, and when the lost motion provided by the slot 23 is taken up, and the end of the slot engages the off-set rod end 28 the rod is pulled carrying 75 the link 29 with it, and the latter, through its pivotal connection 29 with the lever l3, pulls the lower end of the lever. The levermoving about its'pivot I 3 moves the clinching lip I4 downwardly to clinch the extension of the eye between the lip and the anvil 3, and bind it upon the twine 31. The extent towhich the clinching lip is moved is, as before noted,'regulated by the position of the nuts 34 on the rod. 28. 1

At the time'that'. the clinching action takes place, the fork I is beneath the needle 6, and is moving backward, i. e., to the right in Figure 1, toward the position at which it again comes up through the slot to engage another eye. The continued rotation of the cam 26allows the arm 23 under the action of the weight 21, to be again shifted to the left, and the clinching lip to be released as the lever I3 is retracted by the spring 30. While this is taking place, the cam l6, through the arm I! and the shaft [8, and against the action of the spring I9, raises the arm II, and with it the clamping wedge 12, so that the clinched eye may be kicked out by the prong ll] of the fork as the latter moves forward to bring up another eye.

It will be understood that the feeding of the eyes to the clinching position, the clinching operation, and the removal of the eyes from the clinching position, take place during the knitting together of the twine in the process of making cotton harness, and while I have not illustrated the knitting mechanism of the machine, this is well understood by those skilled in the art, and therefore needs no illustration.

From the foregoing it is believed that the construction and operation of the mechanism and the method employed for forming cotton harness having clinched metal eyes, will be understood without further explanation.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for purposes of clearness of understanding, and no undue limitations should be deduced therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible in view of the prior art, it being understood that the embodiment of the invention herein illustrated and described is only one that the invention may assume.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by U. S. Letters Patent is:-

1. The combination with a cotton harness making machine, of a mail 'eye clinching device including a slotted needle on which the eyes are adapted to be stacked, an anvil, a clinching lever adapted. to co-operate with the anvil for clinching the eyes, a holder alined with the needle adapted to guide the eyes over the clinching lever and support them in clinching position, a clamping wedge adapted to co-operate with the holder in looking the eyes in clinching position, a fork actuated from the machine adapted to operate through the slot in the needle for feeding the eyes over the holder to clinching position and for removing the clinched eyes from clinching position, and means operated from the machine for actuating the clinching lever.

2. The combination with a harness making machine, of a mail eye clinching device including a needle on which the eyes are adapted to be stacked, an anvil, a clinching lever adapted to co-operate with the anvil in clinching the eyes, a holder adapted to guide the eyes over the clinching lever into clinching position between the lever and anvil, means adapted to co-operate with the holder in locking the eyes in clinching position, means adapted to cooperate with the needle in feeding the eyes to clinching position in the holder, and means for actuating the clinching lever.

3. In a harness making machine, in combination, a needle on which mail eyes are adapted to be stacked, an anvil, a clinching lever adapted to co-operate with the anvil in clinching the eyes, a holder adapted to support the eyes in position to be clinched, means for feeding the eyes along the needle to clinching position in the holder, and means for actuating the clinching lever.

4. The combination with a cotton harness making machine, of a mail eye clinching device including a stationary anvil, a clinching lever adapted to co-operate with the anvil in clinching the eyes, means independent of the clinching lever for supporting the eyes in stationary condition and clinching position between the anvil and lever, means for feeding the eyes to the supporting means, and means for actuating the clinching lever.

5. The combination with a cotton harness making machine, of a device for clinching mail eyes, means for supporting the eyes in position to be clinched, means for feeding the eyes to the supporting means comprising a needle on which the eyes are stacked and a fork co-operating therewith, and means for actuating the clinching device.

6. In a cotton harness making machine, the combination of a clinching device for clinching metal mail eyes, a needle on which the eyes are adapted to be stacked, means for feeding the eyes along the needle to the clinching device and for removing them therefrom, and means for actuating the clinching device.

7. In a cotton harness making machine, the combination of clinching mechanism for clinching metal mail eyes, a needle on which the eyes are adapted to be stacked, a fork for feeding the eyes along the needle to the clinching mechanism, and means for actuating the clinching mechanism.

8. In a cotton harness making machine, the combination of a stationary anvil, clinching mechanism co-operating therewith for clinching metal mail eyes, means for feeding the eyes to the anvil, and means for actuating the clinching mechanism.

9. A clinching device for cotton harness making machines including an anvil adapted to be mounted on the machine, a holder associated with the anvil for supporting metal eyes in position to be clinched, a, lever independent of the holder associated with the anvil and adapted to co-operate therewith in clinching the eyes, and means adapted to actuate the lever.

10. In a clinching device for clinching the metal eyes of cotton harness, an anvil, a clinching lever adapted to co-operate therewith for clinching the eyes, means for actuating the clinching lever including an arm adapted. to be actuated from the machine, and adjustable lost motion connecting means between the arm and lever.

11. In the method of forming cotton harness having metal mail eyes, the steps comprising stacking the eyes on a needle with the heddle threads extending through the eyes, feeding the eyes along the needle to a clinching position, clinching the eyes upon the heddle threads, and feeding the clinched eyes from the clinching position.

12. In the. method of forming cotton harness having metal eyes, the steps of feeding the eyes one at a time with the heddle. threads; extending therethrough to a, clinching position, clinching the eyes one at a time onto the heddle threads, and removing the eyes one at a time from the clinching position.

' 13. In the method of forming cotton harness having metal eyes, the steps comprising extending the heddle threads through the eyes, moving the eyes to a clinching station, clinching the eyes on the threads, andimoving the eyes from the clinching. station;

14 In; the method, of forming cotton harness having metal eyes, the steps comprising knittingv the harness threads together, with the eyes strung thereon, moving the eyes to a. clinching station, clinching the eyes on the harness threads, and moving the; clinched eyes from the clinching station.

SAMUEL Rt FLOYD. 

